The Stubborn Brasilia: It Always Returned to Its Owner

If you think you've heard unbelievable stories about stolen cars, get ready. This is the saga of Stubborn Brasilia, a car that simply refused to change hands, no matter how hard the thieves tried. The incident happened in São Paulo, in the distant year of 1982, and became a legend among car enthusiasts. But before we get to the inglorious end of this brave machine, let's understand how it all began.

Brasilia that got a sporty look

In the 1980s, the Volkswagen Brasilia was one of the most popular cars in Brazil. It was at this time that Jorge Alano Silveira Garagorry, a young man full of energy and good taste in cars, acquired his Brown Brasilia 1974. Despite eight years of use, the car was already showing signs of fatigue. But Jorge, determined to give his car a more youthful and sporty look, invested heavily.

He installed titanium wheels, one sports steering wheel, one auto-reverse tape player with Tojo amplifier, sports benches and other details that transformed your Brasília into a unique car. The result? A stylish and highly coveted car.

The first robbery and the surprising return home

On a random Friday, Jorge went out to enjoy the São Paulo nightlife with his stylized Brasilia. After having fun, he returned at dawn and parked his car in front of his building, in the neighborhood of Pines. Since the building did not have a garage, this was the normal routine.

But the next morning, when I looked out the window, I got a shock: the car was gone! Thieves had taken his beloved Brasilia. Jorge ran to the police station and reported the incident. police report. But, to his surprise, that same Saturday, he received a phone call from the police informing him that the car had been found. And the most incredible thing? It was practically intact!

The thieves had only taken the tape player and amplifier, leaving everything else in place. Relieved, Jorge got his car back and thought it was just an isolated incident. Little did he know that the worst was yet to come.

The second robbery: an unbelievable coincidence

Just a month later, history repeated itself. Jorge returned from a night of fun on Friday and arrived home around 7 o'clock in the morning. Tired, he slept soundly. But just an hour later, the phone rang. It was from the police station. Pines, informing that your Brasilia had been found again.

“It can’t be!” thought Jorge. The car had been on the street for just one hour! But, looking out the window, the shock: his Brasilia had been stolen again! Police reported that the car was abandoned near the favela of Small River, plucked. This time, the criminals they took everything: wheels, sports seats, steering wheel, replacement cassette player and even small interior details.

Tired of the situation, Jorge warned the police that I would only pick up the car later. But the problem became even bigger when someone in the favela found a parking card from the company where Jorge worked inside the car and contacted the security of the place. The company, worried, thought that Jorge was in trouble and mobilized a team to look for him, generating a real furduncio.

A new owner and the decline of Brasília

After recovering his completely disfigured Brasília, Jorge gave up on making her sporty. Afraid of further theft, he decided to sell the car to a careless brother-in-law, who was not in the habit of doing maintenance and ignored documentation and fines.

The car was wasting away, and its degradation reached an unbelievable point when, on a trip to Jundiai, O rusty floor gave way in the middle of the road. The result? Sparks all over the highway! The improvised solution was put a wooden board to hold the bench, preventing it from sinking straight into the ground.

The inglorious end of Brasília Teimosa: apprehension and oblivion

The final destination of Stubborn Brasilia was, to say the least, curious. During the mayoral elections of São Paulo, the car was used as campaign vehicle for Fernando Henrique Cardoso, which competed against Janio Quadros. Full of election posters, Brasília was no longer even a shadow of what it once was.

But the decline came to an end once and for all when the car was stopped at a checkpoint. Without regularized documentation, he was seized and taken to the Detran yard, where it was forgotten until it rotted. Neither the candidate won the election, nor did Brasília survive!

Jorge's fate and a lesson learned

If Brasilia had an inglorious end, Jorge Alano had a very different fate. Years later, it became PhD in Economics at PUC, he was Superintendent of Investor Relations at Sabesp, Director of Financial Planning for the City of Santo André, finance secretary in several city halls It is financial consultant to several cities in Brazil.

And the lesson that remains? It might be better to make your car more discreet and, if possible, have a good alarm. Because not every stolen car is lucky enough to return to its owner – let alone twice!

Have you ever had a stolen car returned? Or do you know someone with a similar story? Tell us in the comments!